Date: Thu, 26 Aug 99 22:25:30 -0400
From: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Subject: [NGLTF PRESS] NGLTF Joins National Days of Remembrance
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NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
David Elliot, Communications Director
202-332-6483 ext. 3303
800-757-6476 pager
delliot@ngltf.org
http://www.ngltf.org
1700 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC
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NGLTF JOINS NATIONAL DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE
"We will not forget this sad summer of hate."
--Executive Director Kerry Lobel
Aug. 26, 1999-The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
today joined the National Federation of Filipino American
Associations, the Filipino Civil Rights Advocates and other
civil rights and religious groups in observing National Days
of Remembrance in memory of Joseph Ileto and other victims
of hate.
Ileto, the Filipino postal worker who was shot to death in
Los Angeles allegedly by white supremacist Buford O. Furrow,
was killed because he was a nonwhite federal worker, according
to police. Furrow also is charged with wounding five people
during a shooting rampage at the North Valley Jewish Community
Center in Los Angeles. National Days of Remembrance
rallies will be held between Thursday and Tuesday in
Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas
and Seattle (Editors: rally information for each city is at
the end of this release.)
Ileto's death occurred during a summer in which Asians,
African Americans, Jews, lesbians, bisexuals, gay men and
transgender people have been beaten or killed, synagogues
vandalized, women's health clinics attacked, a rainbow flag
burned and a gay pride parade pelted with tear gas.
"We will not forget this sad summer of hate," said NGLTF
Executive Director Kerry Lobel, who spoke at the Washington,
D.C. vigil. "When a hate crime occurs, every single one of us
is diminished, regardless of our race, our religion, our
sexual orientation. The very thing that separates hate crimes
from other crimes of violence is that the victim is selected
because of the community he or she represents. This is the
principle that those who say 'every crime is a hate crime' do
not understand. Sadly, for his family and for our collective
communities, Joseph Ileto has provided a painful example of the
hatred that abounds in our society and the need for action."
Lobel noted the current epidemic of hate crimes is exactly why
many diverse groups and coalitions are working together to pass
strong hate crimes laws, both in Congress and in the states.
Earlier this summer, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the
Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA). This act, which is awaiting
action in the House Judiciary Committee, would expand federal
authority to prosecute hate crimes. Currently, federal officials
can only intervene if a victim is engaged in a federally protected
act such as attempting to vote, go to school or serve on a jury.
Federal officials cannot intervene at all in hate crimes based
on disability, sexual orientation or gender.
In July, Missouri became the 22nd state to enact hate crimes
legislation inclusive of sexual orientation and the fourth state
to enact legislation inclusive of transgender people.
NATIONAL DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE RALLY INFORMATION
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Thursday, Aug. 26
11 a.m. press conference, Murrow Room, National Press Club, 1
4th & F Street NW.
Noon Memorial Vigil, Freedom Plaza, 14th & Pennsylvania Ave NW
Speakers: Leaders from the Asian, African, Latino,
Jewish-American, labor and GLBT communities.
NEW YORK
Thursday, Aug 26
6 p.m. vigil, speak-out and memorial service
Epiphany Church
Corner of East 22nd St. and 2nd Ave., Manhattan
Featured Speakers: Ben Ileto, Uncle of Joseph Ileto;
Loida Nicolas Lewis, National Federation of Filipino
American Associations; Hazel N. Dukes, NAACP; and
Melanie Kaye-Kantrowitz, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice
CHICAGO
Saturday, Aug. 28
9:30 a.m. Ecumenical Memorial Service
St. Genevieve Church
4835 W. Altgeld , Chicago, Illinois
Santiago Leoncio will be the main celebrant.
LOS ANGELES
Saturday, Aug. 28
6 p.m. Community Vigil & Memorial
Filipino Christian Church, 301 N. Union Ave.
March from Pilipino Town to St. Columban Catholic Church
Keynote speaker: Jesse Jackson (invited, not confirmed)
DALLAS
Friday, August 27
Press Conference, Federal Building
Time and details unconfirmed. Contact: Gus Mercado, Chair,
NaFFAA Southwest Region
Tel. 972 881-0583, email: BHPublishr@aol.com
SEATTLE
Tuesday, Aug. 31
5 p.m. silent vigil and memorial service
Filipino Community Center
5740 Martin Luther King Jr. Way South
The National Days of Remembrance is sponsored by the
Filipino Civil Rights Advocates (FilCRA)
and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)
Cosponsors include:
Alleluia Dance Theatre of San Francisco
Am Kolel
American Coalition for Filipino Veterans (ACFV)
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
American Jewish Committee (AJC)
American Jewish Congress
American Postal Workers Union
Anti-Defamation League
Arkipelago
Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area
Asian American Government Executive Network (AAGEN)
Asian American Institute
Asian American Law Enforcement Association
Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund (AALDEF)
Asian Law Caucus (Bay Area)
Asian Pacific American Bar Association (APABA),
Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional
Studies (APAICS)
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA),
Asian Pacific American Network in Agriculture (APANA),
Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)
Asian Pacific American Islander Queer Sisters of
Washington, DC (APIQS)
Asian Pacific Islander Queers United for Action of
Metro Washington, DC(AQUA)
Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council
Audre Lorde Project
Boat People S.O.S.
CAAAV
Center for Constitutional Rights
Charismatic Group of Metro DC
Coalition of Asian Pacific American Democrats of
Maryland (CAPAD-MD),
Coalition of Korean American Organizations
Committee on Human Rights in the Philippines
Committee on Philippine Issues (Chicago)
D.C. Mayors Office on Asian Pacific American Affairs
DIWA organizing committee (DC)
East Bay Asian Consortium
Factory Lunch Box
Empire State Pride Agenda (NY)
Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC),
Feed the Hungry, USA, Inc.,
Filipino American Council of San Francisco
Filipino American Democratic Caucus of San Francisco
Filipino American Human Services, Inc. (FAHSI-NY)
Filipino American Report
Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI-LA)
Filipino American Women's Network (FAWN)
Filipino American Youth Dialogue (DC)
Filipino Postal Workers of Palatine & Northwest
Suburbs (Chicago)
Filipino Youth Coalition (FYC-DC)
Filipinos for Affirmative Action (FAA)
Fr. Carl Schmitz Memorial Awards Committee (Chicago)
GABRIELA Collective - Chicago
Illinois Asian American Hate Crime Network
International Friendship Cultural Arts Heritage (DC)
Japanese American Citizen's League (JACL)
Japanese American Service Committee
Korean American Coalition (KAC)
Korean American Citizens Coalition
League of Filipino Students
League of Korean Americans (LOKA-USA)
MCA Pizza dba Dominos Pizza (Chicago)
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
(NAPABA),
National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium
(NAPALC),
National Association of Asian American Professionals
Chicago Chapter (NAAAP-Chicago)
National Association of Korean Americans,
National Association of Letter Carriers
National Council of La Raza (NCLR)
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF)
National Korean American Service & Education
Consortium (NKASEC)
National Indian American Leadership Council
National Postal Mail handlers Union
NYC Central Labor Council
Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA)
Overseas Artists
Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center
Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego
Philippine American Bar Association (PABA-DC)
Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Metro DC
Philippine American Foundation (PAF)
Philippine American Foundation for Charities (PAFC)
Philippine American Heritage Federation (PAHF)
Philippine American Postal Employees Association (Chicago)
Philippine Engineers & Scientist Organization
(PESO-Chicago)
Philippine Normal University Alumni Association
(Chicago)
Pintig Cultural Group
Resource & Info Center Philippines (RICE)Samahang
Misang Pilipino
Samahang Pinagbuklod sa America (SPA)
Shalom International
Society of Filipino Young Professionals (Chicago)
Tanghalang Pilipino ng DC
Tongue in the Mood (San Francisco)
United for Justice (Virginia)
VIA Times (Chicago)
Vietnamese American Society (VAS)
-30
_____________________________________________________________________
Founded in 1973, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force works to
eliminate prejudice, violence and injustice against gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgendered people at the local, state and national level.
As part of a broader social justice movement for freedom, justice and
equality, NGLTF is creating a world that respects and celebrates the
diversity of human expression and identity where all people may fully
participate in society.
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